Girion: Mentioned briefly in The Hobbit, he was the last Lord of Dale, killed by the dragon Smaug when Smaug assaulted Dale and the neighbouring Dwarf realm of Erebor. 170 years later, Bard, descended from Girion's son who escaped the destruction with his mother, took revenge on the dragon by slaying him with an arrow. It is also mentioned in The Hobbit that Girion had a necklace of emeralds, later found among the treasures hoarded by Smaug in the Lonely Mountain, and given by Bard to the Elvenking for his aid. In Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit, he is played by Luke Evans, who also portrays Girion's descendant Bard.

Bard the Bowman: Later known as Bard I, he appears in The Hobbit. Bard of Esgaroth was a skilled archer and the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale. He was described as "grim faced" and while a guardsman of Esgaroth he was often predicting floods and poisoned fish. He rallied the guards to defend the town when the dragon came. Bard was able to slay the dragon Smaug with the Black Arrow after a tip from the old thrush (who had overheard Bilbo Baggins' description of Smaug) had revealed an unarmoured spot on the dragon's underside. Bard claimed a twelfth of the treasure amassed by the dragon, which he subsequently shared with the Master of Esgaroth to rebuild the town, but the Master stole the money and ran off into the wild where he died. After its rebuilding, Bard was the first king (Bard I) of restored Dale, followed by his son Bain, grandson Brand, and great-grandson Bard II. In Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of The Hobbit, Bard is played by Welsh actor Luke Evans.